Minutes- December 6, 2017

Meeting Minutes- December 6, 2017

The Churubusco Town Council met on December 6, 2017 at 6:30 p.m. in the Town Hall. Members present were Council Members Mark Pepple, Frank Kessler, and Bruce Johnson; and Clerk- Treasurer, Madalyn Sade-Bartl. Also in attendance were area residents Sue Arnold and Pat Liggett; Bob Gray, Wastewater Superintendent; Rick Krider, Park Superintendent; and Mike Engle, Town Marshal.

President Pepple called the meeting to order, welcomed visitors and led the Pledge of Allegiance. Roll was called by the Clerk-Treasurer. All members were present.

Public Hearing- Ordinance 2017-15:

Mr. Pepple opened public hearing for comments. Hearing none, he closed the public hearing.

Approval of December 6^th, 2017 meeting minutes:

Mr. Kessler made a motion to approve the minutes for the meeting of December 6, 2017. Mr. Johnson seconded, and the motion carried 3-0.

Approval of Claims and Payroll Vouchers:

Claims Vouchers dated for December 6, 2017 in the amount of $285,661.20 were presented and approved.

Public Comment:

Sue Arnold, owner of Mom’s Lighthouse, approached the Council and wanted to know about the possibility of closing the narrow alley between her building and Citgo to truck traffic, citing her building had been hit twice. Mr. Kessler stated an ordinance would need to be passed for it to be enforceable. Mr. Pepple stated this would be something they would work on getting done.

Old Business:

Ordinance 2017-15: Alley Closure: Mr. Pepple stated the public hearing for Ordinance 2017-15 had been held and the ordinance had been published. Mr. Kessler made a motion to adopt Ordinance 2017-15, Closure of an Unnamed Alley to Motorized Traffic. Mr. Johnson seconded, and the motion carried 3-0.

New Business:

MOU between the Town of Churubusco and Blue Lake Conservancy- Ms. Bartl stated she and Mr. Gray had attended the Blue Lake Conservancy District meeting on Monday night and presented them with a memorandum of understanding for unbilled waste due to a broken meter and BLCD had signed it. The Council agreed by consensus to also sign the MOU.

K&K Facade Grant: Mr. Kessler presented to the Council a Façade Grant application from K&K Video for new signs. Main Street had approved the application and asked approval from the Council for $468.00. Mr. Johnson made a motion to approve the application. President Pepple seconded and the motion carried 3-0.

Utility Rate Study bid opening: Ms. Bartl stated she had sent RFPs to four firms for rate study services and had received proposals from all four of the firms. Mr. Kessler opened the sealed bids and reported each as follows:

O.W. Krohn- $3000-$4500 per water and sewer utility, $1500-$3500 for storm water, $250-$400 per meeting attended, rate service & design (if needed) per hour basis (note- Ms. Sade-Bartl asked Mr. Krohn after the meeting if there was a “not to exceed” number and he stated the project would not exceed $12,500).

Reedy Financial Group- $40,500 consultation fee, $5500 travel costs, $1500 consumables and incidentals

Umbaugh- $210 per hour not to exceed $28,500

Financial Solutions Group- $185 per hour not to exceed $14,500.

The Council stated they would read and consider each proposal and tabled a decision until the December 20, 2017 meeting.

Department Reports:

Jeremy Hart, Town Supervisor

Mr. Hart was not present and did not leave a report.

Bob Gray, Waste Water Treatment Plant Supervisor

Mr. Gray stated he had applied for the permit, which Mr. Pepple needed to sign. He also reported that he was researching biological phosphorus removal. He stated the upfront costs may be pricy, but the overall costs would be cheaper given that less chemicals would need to be purchased.

Michael Engle, Town Marshal:

Marshal Engle stated he had ordered the new car, but did not have a date of delivery.

Rick Krider, Park Supervisor:

Mr. Krider stated he had the Park winterized and 90% of the leaves were done.

Ron Felger, Town Attorney:

Mr. Felger not present, no report.

Council Reports:

President Frank Kessler:

Mr. Kessler stated he and Ms. Bartl had attended the school forum on Monday evening. SGCS was preparing the community for a request of a referendum. Mr. Kessler’s opinion was that the school plays a very important role to the community and to the Town itself. He believed the Council should support the school in any way they could.

Bruce Johnson:

Mr. Johnson was also at the meeting on Monday and, like Mr. Kessler, was in full support of the school and stood behind it as it is an important piece of our community.

Mark Pepple:

Mr. Pepple had nothing to report.

Madalyn Sade-Bartl:

Ms. Sade-Bartl reported the new mural was done and would be hung on the side of the Churubusco News building. She also stated she was wrapping up the year and working on goals for 2018. She would be meeting with the other department heads the following week to get started on the capital improvement plan.

Having no other business and after all proper papers were signed, Mr. Pepple adjourned the

meeting.